Check to see if the main jet fell out of the needle jet.

 

I'll check that out tomorrow. Thanks !

 

Air filter clean? Was there water in the float bowl?

 

No water and a new filter

 

From your initial description is sounds like it was over fueling, flooding the engine and then was hard to start until the excess fuel cleared the cylinder. Try closing off the intake snorkel on the air box lid and see it it improves - that would indicate running lean.

 

Ok. I'll try that. Thank you !!!

 

I cut the intake down to half by using tape on the end off the box lid and it didn't change anything

 

Mine would do this with a loose pick up coil, I think is the name. Would die randomly and not start, then next day be fine, then not etc. turns out an old owner broke the old pull cord and never pulled the cover, just capped the hole. If you haven’t checked, it couldn’t hurt to make sure that’s in spec. Easy enough to do

 

Do you know what the air gap speck is on that ?

 

I recently bought a 2000 sportsman 500. To make a long story short this thing would fire up using the pull rope with one pull. I was surprised having 500s and 700s in the past. The electrical system was screwed up for the stator wires getting melted by the previous owner. I changed the stator to get the electric start to work. I took it out and rode it for 1 day with no problems other than the 4 wheel drive wouldn't work and every now and then it would die while idling but not every time. So I get it home and now it starts and idles great. Drives mid throttle fine but when I go wide open it just cuts out then takes a second to fire back up it's gets harder to fire back up the warmer it gets it seems. These are the things I've done so far with no progress

CDI box, carb ( cheap Amazon carb that made it run way worse at idle. Couldn't give it any gas at all and it would die so I put the old one back on) fuel pump, fuel lines, stator( i don't know if the air gap on the magnetic pickup not being perfect could cause this issue?) I also did the speedometer bypass to get the 4wd to engage.

Does anyone have any direction here. I'm lost. I keep reading about the cam lobe wear but man it happened like over knight so it's hard for me to believe that ???

ANY help would be greatly appreciated

Welcome to the forum

 

Ok, here is my update as of today. I checked the air gap for the pickup, it's a .020 which from what I can find is in range. I pulled the cam out, there was virtually no wear to be seen. The valves seemed a little tight though I have no checked them with a gauge just yet. I'm still stuck with this being a carb issue. My new filter is not a o.e.m. but also isn't a k and n filer. Same red color but no that name brand. I also do not have the pre filter on it. However I do not belive that to be my problem because I partially blocked of the air box intake horn to see if that would change anything which it did not. I'm going nuts here lol

 

Yeah this is unfortunate. Bring carb to stock?

 

Check the exhaust for an obstruction

 

I’ve seen this on passenger vehicles. Good call burd

 

Does anyone know anyplace that rebuilds these carbs. I haven't checked the exhaust blockage yet. I guess I could just pull the last piece off and drive it ?

 

I can rebuild the carb if it is a Mikuni - the Chinese counterfeit carb cannot be repaired.

 

I have a Mikuni i can send you. If this exhaust isn't the problem I don't know what it could be. What's a rebuild cost

 

Ok. I just send it to you then ?

 

Yes - I'm sending you a PM with contact info.

 

I think i got it figured out. I took the plug out to.check the gap and it was at .052. I gapped it to the correct .028 and it seems to be just fine !!

 

Yes - plug gap is important too - we tend to overlook plug gap because it does not change in the engine once initially set. A new plug is adjusted for gap prior to installation and forgotten. We have to presume either it was incorrectly gapped when installed or an incorrect plug type was installed and the factory set gap was not adjusted prior to installation. Glad you figured it out.

 

I appreciate the help so much. I still might send you one of these mikuni carbs. Both are for a 500

 

OK